Research: 2012 Consumerization of IT Survey

Mike Healey05/01/12

Consumerization: Understand the Different Viewpoints

Our second annual InformationWeek Consumerization of IT survey shows that IT leaders are realizing how the consumerization of IT can be good a thing for the enterprise. Fifty-six percent of companies now consider themselves proactive or accepting of consumer-centric tech; two years ago, just 32% did--that's a 24-point swing. A whopping two-thirds of companies cite positive benefits related to consumerization, and only 2% say it pulls IT from its strategic focus. Apple is now a true enterprise player, with iPhones, Macs, and iPads each supported by more than half of companies, up 10 percentage points or more from two years ago. We also see increased use of the types of applications that demand tech-savvy end users, such as IM, videoconferencing, and enterprise social networking.

So is this the dawn of new era, when we finally blend the best of business and consumer tech into a seamless whole? Unfortunately, no--and that's IT's fault because we're slacking on support, even as consumerization expands. Just over half of companies provide some level of technical support to end users connecting personal devices to the network, but that’s almost identical to two years ago. An additional 23% still "officially" say no, but end users call in anyway (likely with spotty results). The rest hold the line and leave employees on their own.

That's not smart, considering that security still dominates worries about the consumerization of IT, cited by 59%, up a tick from 2010. Concerns about not having the support staff and budget to help end users adopt technology have fallen, but they’re still cited by more than one third of respondents. And about a quarter say end users have better technology at home than at the office, up six points from two years ago.

Netting it out, though, we see IT embracing consumer tech for employees more than they're fighting it. The tension from that won't go away. Personal tech favors convenience over security, individual applications over a grand system design, and short-term fixes (and costs) over long-term investment. Here's the latest on the consumerization of IT, and how you can take advantage on your terms. (R4560512)

Survey Name InformationWeek 2012 Consumerization of IT SurveySurvey Date February 2012Region North AmericaNumber of Respondents 400Purpose To identify the extent of consumer device use in the enterprise and the strategies organizations are employing to manage this trend.